Sealing ring for pipe couplings



Sept. 6, 1949. J. J. SMITH SEALING RING FOR PIPE COUPLINGS Filed June 27, 1947 Inventor JOHN J. I SMITH m/Mw Artorheys Patented Sept. 6, 1949 SEALING RING FOR PIPE COUPLINGS John J. Smith, Decatur, Ill., assignor to Mueller 00., Decatur, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 27, 1947, Serial No. 757,398

The present invention relates to a pipe connection, specifically an assembly for attaching a tubular fitting in the wall of a chamber to make a'connection with said chamber for flow of fluid. The invention is particularly concerned with such a connection applied to pipes of relatively small diameter.

This invention is an improvement in the pipe connection and sealing member as disclosed in Patent 2,199,647, to Mueller et al., dated May '7, 1940. In that patent, a sealing member is disclosed comprising a hollow ring shaped carrier of thin deformable metal, and a ring of compressible packing material in said carrier. The packing ring disclosed in said patent has exposed inner and bottom walls to effect seals with the conduit andthe fitting connected thereto when the sealing member is distorted by a threaded follower on the fitting, all as described in said patent.

The present invention has all of the features and advantages recited in said patent, and the disclosure of said patent is incorporated herein by reference.

In the practical use of sealing members as disclosed in said patent, it has been found in some instances that the member is not sufiiciently distorted to properly seal a very small pipe or main. It has been found after considerable experiment, that a modified type of sealing member as disclosed herein, is of pronounced sealing effectiveness when used, for example, on the smaller pipe sizes, such as pipes of 2 inches inside diameter down to those of size 1%; inches inside diameter.

A principal object of invention is to provide a sealing member of the class referred to, which is provided with a bottom surface pre-formed substantially to the curvature of the conduit, whereby a tight seal may be insured when the sealing member is deformed against the conduit, even though the conduit has a relatively steep outside curvature as in the case of conduits of the smaller sizes.

It is a purpose of the invention to provide a sealing member which is so formed on its undersurface, that the pressure applied by a follower will immediately react on those portions of the sealing member which are at the sides of the conduit, as distinguished from the portions thereof which are along the top of the conduit, when the connection is applied as disclosed in the drawings.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the structure is specifically described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken laterally of a conduit with a fitting shown attached thereto, the fitting and sealing member being partly in section.

Figure 2 is a similar view taken longitudinally of the conduit.

1 Claim. (01. 2s5 5) Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the sealing member of the invention, looking inwardly toward the arcuate cut-out bottom surface thereof.

Figure 4 is a central vertical sectional View through the sealing member as it appears in Figure 3, taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 8.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the sealing member as it appears when viewed from a point at right angles from the view of Figure 3, i. e.-, looking inwardly toward the sealing member of Figure 3 from the right. I

Figure 6 is a central vertical sectional view through the sealing member as shown in Figure 5, taken along the line 66 of Figure 8.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the sealing member, and

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the sealing member.

As indicated above, the invention is useful for the same purposes as discussed in the said Patent 2,199,647, and may be used in association with pipes which are covered and lined, as mentioned in that patent, or with bare pipes.

In Figure 1, the conduit is shown at I 0. An opening of predetermined size is drilled at the desired point through the wall of the conduit, and this opening is then tapped to form pipe threads. The opening is shown in the drawings extending through the top wall of the conduit. It will be understood that this position of the opening is shown for illustrative purposes only, and such wordsas upper and lower and similar relative terms are used herein merely for descriptive convenience to define the relation of the parts as shown, and are not words of limitation.

A fitting I2 is threaded into the opening in the conduit in. This fitting is illustrated as a service T of the type generally disclosed in the Henderson Patent 2,336,173 December 7, 1943. It will be understood that .the invention is useful with any other type of fitting, including simple tubular T or L connections or valved connections. The fitting l2 has a lower tubular end threaded into the opening of the conduit, threads M for this purpose extending for any appropriate length, there being an enlarged upper tubular portion threaded as at IE to carry the follower nut l8 which compresses the sealing member as hereinafter described. The upper and lower threads l4 and I6 may be separated by smooth section 20 on the lower end of the T, around which the sealing member 22 is positioned.

Referring particularly to Figure 4, the sealing member comprises a ring of compressible packing material 24, such as rubber or rubber composition, and a hollow ring shaped carrier of thin deforme able metal for housing said packing ring. The carrier may be made of copper or other similar thin material of sufficient strength, which can be deformed to assume the. shape of the conduit.

The packing ring has a top flat face and a 3 straight exposed cylindrical wall 26 as shown. The exposed bottom surface 28 of the packing ring is of cylindrical form, generally of the: same-radius, or very close thereto, as the curvature of the outside of the range of small pipe sizes on which the sealing member is intended to be used. It

may be said that the sealing Fi-Ilg,'z*"h3/S1 $1? walls which are covered by the. carrier. and which d-o'not contact the fitting or-conduit, and-inner walls which are exposed and which do contact outside wall comprisesupperand lower conical fiat areas 30- and 32' which" meet at ajoint 34 extending throughout the-perimeter of the sealing; member: a A

Thel'ower edge of "the carrier is cut in the cyl'indrical or saddle shape as previously' referred' to along theline 35; This surface'otthe carrier is so cut; with respect to thecorresponding lower cylindrical surface 28 of the packing ring, that a lip of packing 4-0-- may be provided all the way around the central opening-through the sealing member. For" example, this protruding lip 40 appears when the sealing member is viewed as in Figure 3.

The fitting and sealing member are applied to the conduit in the'same mannr as described in detail in Patent 2;199;647} it'bei'ng understood that the member will be inthe un-distorted condition; shown'irr Figures 3through 8, when it is applied tothe conduit. When'the; follower I8 issetup or tightened, the sealing member is distorted as shown in Figures 1 and'2, to-a lesser extent in a plane laterally of the conduit (Figure '1) andto a more pronounced extentin a plane longitudinail-y of the conduit (Figure 2).

It will beunderstood that because of the-cylin drical curvature of the. bottom face'of the sealin member, uniform compression of this member throughout its" entire area will be almost immediate when the follower I8 is tightened. Hence, more uniform pressure is transmitted against the wall of the conduit and against the fitting at points all around the sealing member. Furthermore, such a sealing-membcta-s. disclosed does not require the degree of distortion in the longi';-

tudi-nal plane (Figure 2), as. in the; case of the construction of Patent 2,199,647; in order to exert pressure sufiiciently reat in the lateral plane (Figure 1) to insure thenecessary seal.

With the sealing member of" this inventiom-it is-possible to complete an effective seal on a pipe approximately inch larger. or smallerin diam eter-than the conduit diameterfor which the par-.. ticularsealing member is designed, For exam ple, a 2-inch sealing member willbe foumtsatisr. factory in use, for bothpipe sizes 2% inches and 1% inches. The contour ofthexsealing member,

edge of the carrier is relieved at sides of the sealing member which lietoward the longitudinal direction'oi the'conduit; wherebyprasure applied by the follower l8 withjits fiat force applying face is more immediately effective to distort the carrier on the sides thereof which lie laterally o f-the:conduit.. 7 While I have shown the packing ring 24 similarly. relieved. along its lower face, it is the relieving ofth'e edge of the carrier that is more vitah. :Howeyenini. producing the'sealing members of the present invention, it may be found to bem'ore convenient to form said members as in in practice, will be based on the outside diameter v of the particular pipe size., As is apparent from Figures i and 7, the bottom edge of the carrier is cut-out in a-concave manner in the form of an ellipse, 36-. This cutout will, relieve the bottom face of the. sealing member in a cylindrical manner, whereby to re-;

duce the amount of distortion required'at points along the top or upper surface of the main to. obtain the'necessary sealing distortion'and pres;

sure; at points along the sideotgthe main adja-.

cent'the union. 'As'viewed' in Figure 3*, the lower Figure 5 of Patent $199,647, and thereafter simply cut out the saddle surface from both the edge of" the carrier and the bottomfaceof thepacking or sealing ring.

1t will'be apparent that I have provideda sealin member which will be found to be usetul when applieclto conduits of all sizes. How

ever, as stated, the invention is ofparticular use when the sealing member is designed for, and f appliedto, conduits of'the smaller sizes.

As stated, the sealin'g: member is formed witha lower concave surface of a degree of-curvature V corresponding; with thatiof the conduit on. which the sealing member is. intended tobe used. By

corresponding curvature, I intend to include not; onlythe exact curvature of the conduit, but also curvatures which may differ from theradiusof the conduit'within.reasonable'limitsof useful-"- ness'.

I claim:

A'sealing-member for application to the union of afitting and a conduit and adapted to be compressed and distorted against the outer wall of the conduit by a follower'threaded' on the fitting, comprising a hollow ring-shaped carrier Qfthin deformable metal,- and a ringofcompressibl'e pack-ingmaterial mounted in and filling the interior of said carrier, said'packing ring having an exposedinner. wall to surround the fitting andangexposed bottom wall formed to the curva-- ture of the conduit, said carrier having a net top wall and an outside wall confining the outerwall: of said packing ring, the outside "wall of said. carrier being arched, in form and having:

a circular bend thereinlocatedbetween the top andbottom walls.v of saidpackingring, said-car rier having a. lower edge which. is cut. away at diametrically opposite sides of" said member be, fore applicationof said member to the. union toform said edge to the cylindrical: curvature ofthe conduit on which saidmember is used said pacirr ingring having, a relatively narrow continuous lip WhlCh carries the curved bottom wall of said packingring and which protrudes beyond said edge before saidmember deformed; said lip' 7 being; arranged tobe pressed-to a position within said edge, when said. memberis compressed by the follow-6.13: a I

H 1 JOHN J. SMITH.

' nnnnnnwons crrcn.

The following references, are of record-in. the

fil 0t thisp r n UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number I Name 1,616,390 Powell WWW--- Feb; 1,v 1927: 2,199,647 Mueller 'lyl;ay,'l, 1940 l 2,265,703. Simpson .r. r. Dec. 9, 19451 

